Angel at Dusk

About

In "Angel at Dusk" , a punishing shmup set in a far-off future, players must shoot, dodge, and destroy enemies in an apocalyptic world reawakened to primal desires. With a focus on challenging gameplay and minimalistic design, players gather power-ups by tackling enemies at close range, offering a thrilling experience that hearkens back to the genre's origins. The story explores a world where humanity has transcended to angeldom, leaving behind a paradise for angels as the sun expands and twilight engulfs the realm.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+12

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 157 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

grinding7 negative mentions

Angel at Dusk features an excellent tutorial that makes it highly accessible for newcomers to the shmup genre, teaching essential mechanics and strategies.
The game boasts a unique and visually striking art style, combining grotesque and beautiful elements that enhance the overall experience.
With multiple game modes, including a deep Chronicle mode and engaging arcade campaigns, players are rewarded for aggressive play and can enjoy a satisfying progression system.

The Chronicle mode can become repetitive and grindy, requiring players to complete easy stages to progress, which may frustrate some players.
The screen can get cluttered with bullets and effects, making it difficult to see what is happening during intense moments, potentially leading to confusion.
Some players have reported issues with the game's performance on certain platforms, including crashes and unresponsive menus.

gameplay
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
49%
8%
The gameplay of this shmup is characterized by its addictive mechanics, rewarding aggressive playstyles, and a unique leveling system that enhances player ships. While it offers a solid introduction to the genre with well-designed tutorials and beautiful visuals, some players find the gameplay repetitive and simplistic compared to other titles. Overall, it combines engaging mechanics with a visually striking presentation, making it a fun experience for both newcomers and genre veterans.
- “The gameplay loop is really addictive in a sense that it rewards the player for playing well by constantly morphing the living ship into a stronger form; I can look past the whole 'my player ship is too darn big and I can't see anything' because the trade-off for absolute power puts a smile on my face.”
- “The game does a fantastic job through its gameplay to teach you to stay on the offensive and has a bunch of mechanics centered around rewarding aggressive strategies.”
- “Hugely satisfying gameplay with a unique feel, look, and sound.”
- “Going back to the problem of repetitive gameplay, this is the primary reason why I do not recommend this game unless you are a shmupper, and even if you are a die-hard shmup fan, surely there are better shmups to play.”
- “While this game has done a decent job at creating a shmup game that retains players and invites new players to the genre, it still was not able to overcome the problem of simplistic, monotonous, basic gameplay that this genre has, which plagues what could have been a potentially great game.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it is pretty simple; the mechanics involve the player being able to choose different ships with unique loadouts.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
45%
10%
The graphics of "Angel at Dusk" are described as a unique blend of grotesque and mesmerizing artwork, reminiscent of H.R. Giger, which enhances the game's appeal, especially during the spooky season. While many praise the distinctive art style and its chaotic charm, some critiques mention issues with clarity and hitbox accuracy. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature that complements the engaging gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
- “The artwork is Giger-esque, which is unusual and extra great during the spooky season.”
- “The visuals are grotesquely mesmerizing, and the music is all over the place (from classically inspired to heavy metal, to synth) in all the best ways.”
- “To say nothing of the game's aesthetics, which are stellar, this is clearly a passion project by a skilled developer obsessed with the genre, and it oozes thought and style.”
- “Angel at dusk laughs in the face of hyper-realistic graphics and dumbed-down difficulty, with what appear to be vector images of sexualized eldritch crab people barraging the player with bone-covered hot dogs.”
- “People compare/associate this game to Scorn in terms of design and story, but I think it's a little better in both departments with the exception of graphics and horror.”
- “I like that myself, but if you don't, then there's options to adjust the graphics to make things more clear.”
story
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
64%
12%
The game's story is noted for its surprising depth and expansive lore, engaging players with interconnected narratives and a unique setting that blends humor and philosophical themes. While some players find the story secondary to gameplay, many appreciate the detailed context provided through various modes, including a wealth of lore notes that enhance the experience. However, there are criticisms regarding the clarity of progression and transitions between different game modes, which can detract from the overall narrative flow.
- “The story of the game is actually interesting and expansive since every stage you clear will give you more context, but your first run through the game gives you these essential bullet points anyway.”
- “Chronicle mode and arcade mode have notes for every stage, adding to something insane like 177 story notes altogether.”
- “The only shortcoming here is that there lacks an in-game explanation guiding the player from tutorials to original to chronicle mode, which affects the smooth transition and player experience. It took me a while to figure out that story mode can also be played from original mode with custom weapons, making difficulty redundant if you have higher stats and gear.”
- “For this kind of game, the story should be irrelevant, and yet this one is quite profound and explores philosophical concepts (think 'Evangelion', but more straightforward).”
- “It's rare for me to dive deep and find out what the story is of any shmup unless I really like it.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
13%
The music in the game is widely praised for its variety and quality, ranging from classical influences to heavy metal and synth, creating a unique and immersive experience that complements the gameplay. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, noting its thematic fit and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, making it a significant draw for fans of the genre. Overall, the music is described as remarkable, with many expressing a strong appreciation for the effort put into its composition.
- “The visuals are grotesquely mesmerizing, and the music is all over the place (from classically inspired to heavy metal, to synth) in all the best ways.”
- “Absolutely add this to your collection if you're a fan of the genre, it's an absolute blast and very addicting, and the music is on point, clearly a lot of love was put into this game.”
- “The music is also varied and, quite frankly, immaculate.”
- “The music is bizarre, sounding more like a spaghetti western than a post-apocalyptic corrupted planet.”
- “The soundtrack isn't gonna land in my favorites, but it feels incredibly fitting and thematic, so it's not getting muted either.”
- “A brilliant addition to the shmup genre, this game isn't only visually striking with its nightmarish presentation, but it's also packing plenty of content, unique system mechanics, unlockables, multiple difficulty options, great moment to moment action-oriented gameplay and a killer soundtrack.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely noted as excessive and repetitive, particularly in the roguelike mode that players must complete to unlock additional content. While some find the leveling system enjoyable, many feel that the grind detracts from the overall experience, especially given the imbalance in weapon effectiveness and the necessity to farm resources. Overall, the grind can be a significant barrier to fully enjoying the game.
- “In order to unlock all the arcade stages, you have to complete this horribly repetitive and grindy roguelike mode, which kind of wrecks the game.”
- “Original mode is kind of grindy and lengthy, with some weapons being way better than others. It can be a bit grindy to unlock all the 'ships' too since you might end up having to farm for blue cells for some.”
- “Commits the sin of hiding an entire arcade campaign behind progression through the unbalanced and grindy chronicle mode.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's humor is characterized by its tongue-in-cheek narration and over-the-top gore, featuring amusingly named bosses and a playful approach to its themes. While the humor remains engaging initially, it can become repetitive after a few hours of gameplay. The tutorials are particularly noted for their entertaining and informative writing, making the game accessible to newcomers.
- “I appreciate the tongue-in-cheek humor of the narration and story as well.”
- “Very suited to genre beginners thanks to its two very complete, motivating, and hilariously written tutorials (that also go into detail about the philosophy of shmups, it was very interesting for me).”
- “This game feels like jumping a generation for its 'galshell' series, which is also a hilariously over-the-top gore fest with vaguely sexy monster women.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game has mixed reviews regarding replayability; while some users find it lacking, others highlight its solid mechanics, engaging art, and high replay value, making it a worthwhile purchase for genre fans, especially at a discount.
- “Cool art, tight controls, solid mechanics, lots of replay value.”
- “From storyline, to graphics, to music, and high replay value.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of "Angel at Dusk" is characterized by its striking visuals and a unique blend of grotesque and mesmerizing design, creating a thought-provoking experience that captivates players. The game's aesthetic contributes significantly to its overall impact, enhancing the shmup genre with a distinctive and intriguing ambiance.
- “Angel at Dusk is an incredible looking shmup with an equally fascinating, yet disgusting style that brings out a unique atmosphere. The grotesque design is thought-provoking as much as it is mesmerizing.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game emotionally engaging due to its challenging arcade mechanics that encourage continuous improvement, combined with a captivating visual aesthetic that resonates with their deeper emotional sensibilities.
- “It's got the challenge of an arcade that keeps a person improving upon play, and the awesome visual aesthetic that charms one's finer emotional brain.”